


Where do we go, now that we won?

by jessiestark



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Endgame Fix-It, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Stucky - Freeform, i made this because i wanted something where tony and steve get a proper happy ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-01 08:48:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18796984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessiestark/pseuds/jessiestark
Summary: After winning the battle against Thanos, whatever it took, the Avengers need to get back on track with what's supposed to be their lives now and pay their respect to the ones that passed away. As they deal with consequences, some of the original decide it's time to settle and to let the new generation step up.





	1. Tony

_“Everybody wants a happy ending, right? But it doesn't always roll that way. Maybe this time. I'm hoping if you play this back... it's in celebration. I hope families are reunited. I hope we get it back, in somewhat like a normal version of the planet has been restored, if there ever was such a thing. God, what a world. Universe now. If you told me 10 years ago that we weren't alone, let alone you know to this extent... I mean, I wouldn't have been surprised. But come on, you know. That epic forces of darkness and light that have come into play. And for better or worse, that's the reality Morgan's going to find a way to grow up in. So I found a private area to record a little greeting in case of an untimely death on my part. Not that death at any time is ever timely.”_

The holographic image of Tony Stark was playing from his Iron Man helmet while Pepper, Morgan, Rhodey, and Happy were sitting in the couch watching it. Tony’s voice was the only one in the room until a screen appeared right next to it, and the face on the screen was the same in the hologram.

“Why are you all watching this? This was supposed to be an afterlife message, but I’m still not done with life. Or trying to, at least. Hence, it’s supposed to be a private thing.”

Everybody standing in the room opened a smile. “We didn’t know you were awake,” Pepper answered.

“I think whatever it is that you gave me, go get some more because the pain is starting to kick in.” He tried to smile over the pain but only got to show them a grimace.

His wife quickly stood up. “I think Nebula left us some more of that cocktail…” She left to another room and came back with a plastic bag on her hands. Inside, there were some tubes with a colorful and gooey liquid. “Rhodey, can you get in touch with her again so she can bring us some more?”

“Sure thing.” James Rhodes nodded and stood up as both the screen and the hologram turned off. “You think he’ll be okay by Friday?”

“We hope so… but he’ll figure out a way to be there.” She shrugged and went up to the stairs. Rhodey gave Morgan a kiss in her head and said goodbye to Happy as he went out.

As the engines of Rhodey’s car started, Pepper was entering her room where her husband rested in the bed. The whole room has been taken by a lot of machines and medical equipment, balloons, flowers and drawings from friends and Iron Man fans as the word about the battle got out. There was a lot of praise from the public when people thought Iron Man was dead, and the whole family is having a hard time leaving the house due to the paparazzi and the press all over the streets nearby. It was still hard for her to see Tony in the way he was, but at least he was still alive. She could take that, and she was thankful enough that her daughter would be able to grow with her father around.

Tony was lying on the bed, his injuries all over his body. His right side was dark and burned due to the damage caused by the infinity stones, and even though it was slightly getting better from the medicine, his situation was still pretty bad. It was stressful enough for her to see him that way and know that she could do nothing about it, but she knew what he did was a necessary move to take it away from Thanos.

Every time Pepper closed her eyes she could see it all again. Thanos standing there, staring at Tony as he raised his hand with the gauntlet. For a brief couple of seconds, she froze, paralyzed in horror for what Tony was about to do. She knew he was going to die even before her mind could put a rational explanation to that. At that moment, her mind put all the power of the suit to the thrusters to get to him as fast as she could, but Wanda got to him first, blasting the gauntlet with her power while another blast came from a distance, where a dizzy Carol Danvers seemed to send all she had to the same place, barely holding on after being beaten down with one of the infinity stones by Thanos.

Somehow their powers combined - which had similarities to the stones - managed to hold its energy stable enough for the snap. The three of them survived, but they all fell down in the battlefield, their lives hanging by a thread. Wanda was sent to Wakanda to recover, Carol was taken to another planet so she could restabilize her powers, and Tony was finally at home after spending some days in the ICU, receiving help from Shuri and T’Challa and a medicine cocktail from outer space, carefully collected and brought by Nebula, the blue robotic woman who got to spend some days with Tony in space.

So many new people, but thanks to them, Pep could sit in the bed, look at the man she loved and have him look back at her with a weak smile. “How are you holding up?” She asked, resting her arm on his arm with care.

“I’ll be up as soon as you realize. Promise.”

She laid a kiss on his forehead. “Take your time.”

“How’s Maguna?” He asked.

“Oh, she saw me flying on that suit and is dying for me to let her do the same. The apple never falls far from the tree, I guess.” She chuckled. “But she.. _we_ are fine. You have nothing to worry about.” She put her hand on her neck and finished the sentence with a sigh, quickly standing up again and going to the machine that was closer to the bed.

“I know that look, Ms. Potts…” Tony followed her with his eyes as she prepared the medicine he was going to take. The pain was taking over once again, so he was actually grateful she was taking care of him. As she always did. “You don’t have to do it all alone. I don’t want you to.”

“I know, Tony… I- it’s a lot to process and there’s a lot of things to do. Someone needs to do them.”

“Pep, please. Don’t take it all by yourself. You… I wish I could help you, but there isn’t much I can do in this bed.” He meant to speak louder and maybe quicker, but the pain didn’t let him continue talking a blue streak. “Please, honey, take care.”

Pepper held his hand after quickly checking the monitor as his heart rate went up and the beeps of his vital signs were faster. “I will. Don’t worry, baby. I promise you.” She caressed the left side of his face, stroking her thumb on his cheek. “Now, you need to rest.”

Tony nodded as the medicine entered his veins, his smile was faint as his face showed how tired he was.

“When is it Nat’s…” He let the words fall, but it wasn’t sure it was due to physical or emotional pain.

“On Friday.”

“ _Excuse me, ma’am.”_

They both smiled once they heard the AI’s voice. “No, I wasn’t talking about you, Friday.” Pepper stood up, putting her hair behind her ears.

“ _Your daughter is trying to reach some cereal in the kitchen. It is highly probable that she’ll end up injured by items there are likely to fall from the shelves above.”_

“Oh, shit.” She threw a kiss to her husband and ran downstairs. “ _Morgan!_ ”


	2. Steve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the battle with Thanos, Steve goes back to return the stones and to see a friend but, when in the past, he realizes that he can settle and have a good life. But the right person for him was still in the future, waiting probably with a frown on his face and his hands shoved in his pocket.

Steve Rogers, the man out of time, took a deep breath and looked around. So many things had happened to him in the last 10 years, and to think that he was now traveling in time was maybe too much to process. But he guessed it was the right call since he knew better than anyone else what was it like to not belong in a certain period of the human existence. Well, there was another person who also knew the feeling.

Bucky. He was standing in the grass below the platform where Steve was, with a sad smile on his face. Well, Steve knew his friends was sad because she knew him since forever, and he could tell when Buck was hiding something. The man pretended to believe Steve when the man told him he would be back, and their goodbye hug had much more meaning than it should have had. But, as Banner just said, he was going to be back as soon as they realized. 

He winked at Bucky and nodded at Sam, lastly giving Bruce his affirmative response to start the mission. At one hand, the infinity stones, his mission. At the other, Mjolnir, a gift from Thor after the battle and the surprise that he was worthy to lift it. He was a soldier on a mission, and so he went.

Steve was so focused on returning the stones to where they belonged that he didn't even stop to take a breath and think about what was happening. Did he just give the scepter back to Hydra consciously knowing they were Hydra? A weird encounter with an old acquaintance, one he thought it was long gone, really messed up with his head. Maybe evil was never gone, after all. When he returned, how long was it going to take for another Red Skull or even another Thanos to show up and destroy what they had?

Truth be told, he was tired of war. He had seen a lot, and after being frozen for 70 years, he had even made it to space. No one should live that long or see that much. The blonde man took a deep breath as he stood alone in the elevator on the military base of Camp Lehigh, where it all started. Maybe, just maybe… Tony could be right.

He walked looking down and quickly managed to find the room where they kept the stone. There were fewer people around than the last time he was here with Tony, and we couldn’t stop but to feel weird. Back in the days, this place seemed to never stop, flooding with people and things happening. Now, it was much quieter and empty. On his way back, Steve stopped in front of the office he had entered before, by accident. The office of Margaret Carter. Peggy.

Taking a deep breath, the man opened the door, closing it quickly so no one would notice him. Still had his back turned to the table, and hands on the doorknob when he heard a click. The clicking noise of a gun, the sound he was quite used to hear. He stood still for a few seconds and raised his hands in the air, slowly turning around to see the occupant in the room.

Peggy Carter was standing still, her hand was holding the gun and pointing it directly to Steve. Her expression was fierce, which slowly changed to confusion and shock as she laid eyes upon his face. Her jaw dropped slightly as he opened up a shy smile.

“Hi, Peg.”

” _ Who  _ are you?” She demanded. Oh, he did miss this Peggy from the old days. 

“It’s me. Really me.” He answered, his hands still in the air. “It’s a very long story if you let me explain.”

“H-How?” The frown in her face showed that she was really trying to make some sense out of this, but she still couldn’t find something she could trust. Steve was dead. Howard searched for the body for years, and still hadn’t find a thing. Chances are that the man in front of her could be an impostor, and she was afraid to surrender too easy just because he  _ looked like  _ Steve. A bit older Steve. 

She remained in silence for a few more seconds and the man tried to take one step toward her. Her hand held the gun tighter. “ _ Don’t _ move, or I’ll shoot.”

He let out a breath and nodded. “Oh, I know.” 

“Prove it.” She retorted quickly. “Prove it that you are who you said you were.” The woman still refused to say Steve’s name out loud. It wasn’t him, was it? 

“I’m still the same guy who promised you that dance years ago. And I know it’s been some time but, if you’re still up to it… we can have it now.”

Tears filled her eyes but she blinked quickly as an attempt to send them away. There was no one else she had told about the dance. There was just  _ one  _ person that knew about it, and he was lost in the ocean. Or was he not?

Her hands lowered the gun a little bit and her voice was slightly softer. “But how?”

Steve lowered his arms slowly. “Technology stuff. I don’t know the how, but I know the who and the when. Future Stark tech.”

“Future?”

“Long story, but yes.”

Peggy now let the tears roll down her face, putting the gun on the table as she looked at him in disbelief. For so long she wanted to see him again but knew it wasn’t possible. For so long she pictured that moment, but she never really prepared for a real encounter. Steve Rogers walked toward her and this time, she didn’t threaten him. She walked in the direction of the man and to his arms, crying loudly as she laid her face on his chest. His heart, beating so fast -- so alive. Steve was there and she couldn’t believe this… miracle.

He passed his hand through her hair and let the woman cry as much as she needed to. Oh, he did miss the version of Peggy that he truly  _ knew.  _ Of course, he knew Old Peggy. But it wasn’t the same thing. 

They parted from the hug and she looked at him from head to toes. “You’re… different. Oh, I have so many questions.”

“Peg, I can’t tell you much. Tony said- I mean, when you mess with time, it usually tends to mess back.”

“I… I think we should, hm…” There were so many thoughts in her head right now that she couldn’t seem to be able to think through them. “Let’s go somewhere else. Too many people here, and you know, it’s best to keep you quiet. Right?”

“Absolutely.” Steve nodded and helped her as she grabbed her belongings. 

“Thanks, darling. Let’s go to my place.”

Carefully, they both sneaked out from the base, managing to disguise Steve so no one would recognize him. They were careful, but it’s important to say that they were also very lucky - it was Sunday, and the working staff on that day was reduced. They drove all the way to Peggy’s house, a big but not-that-big yellow house in the city. It was beautiful and it seemed a peaceful neighborhood, and as they walked in a few children played outside in the street.

He entered the house and looked around, noticing no actual sign that someone other than Peggy lived there. It was quite a big house for just one person, but he didn’t know exactly who to ask her that.

“Make yourself comfortable.” She said, leaving her coat and purse over the sofa. “D’you want something to drink?”

“I’m fine.” He sat down at the sofa, his hand over his knees. A man’s overcoat was at the hanger behind the door, and he nodded with a smile. There  _ was _ someone, then.

“Oh.” The woman followed his eyes as she sat down in the chair close to him. “That’s Howard’s. He keeps forgetting things here as an excuse to keep coming back.”

“Sounds like him.”

They both grinned and stared at each other, letting the moment settle and the silence play among the two of them. Gently, the conversation grew and the time passed as the old friends started to become more and more comfortable, to a place where they once were or were getting to before life happened. 

The hours went by and night fell. If anyone happened to be passing by Margaret Carter’s house at this moment, warm lights were coming from the windows, and the gentle wind blew the curtains away just enough for the curious eyes to catch a glimpse of a couple, dancing. The song playing was from decades ago, but the moment was of intimacy. They smiled and danced slowly, letting it settle in eternity. No rush, no intruders, no worries. Just two people united by a moment of nostalgia. 

They danced for hours, and the songs chanted them away into the night. After some insistence from the woman, Steve accepted to sleep in the guest room and spend the night. And as he laid awake staring at the ceiling, his mind was distant, years away in the future. In that night, Steve realized something he always knew but never had put it on words. 

In that night, Steve Rogers wanted to settle down with the person he couldn’t stop thinking about. 

In that night, the soldier was done with the war of his heart.   
  
  


He woke up early in the morning and had breakfast with Peggy, both of them now laughing and sharing nothing of the awkwardness from the day prior. 

“You know that Howard’s gonna love to see you again.” She said before taking a bite on a toast.

“I bet… but I don’t think I’ll stay for much longer.”

She frowned. “Why? What are you gonna do?”

“I need to go back. There’s something I need to do.”

The woman consented, nodding in response.

“Someone?”

Steve didn’t answer her, but she didn’t need words to understand his answer. She knew it already. “Are you gonna come back this time?”

He took a deep breath. “I hope so.”

She looked at the clock in her wrist and drank the rest of her coffee. “Goodness, I’m late already.” Peggy grabbed her purse and keys, checking everything. Steve walked her back to the car and they hugged again for a minute. She laid a red kiss on his cheek and put her hand on his face. “Go get him, Steve. And please come back if you can.”

“I promise I’ll try.” 

And with that, he watched the car disappear at the end of the street before going inside the house again, putting his jacket back on. He knew exactly what he had to do, but that didn’t keep the butterflies away from his stomach. Soon enough, he had his quantum suit back on and took a deep breath with courage. It was time to go back. Actually, to go  _ forward. _

  
  
It has been quite a while for Steve Rogers, but five seconds to the three men standing there. Steve came back and he couldn’t but to notice the sign of relief in their faces. As soon as he came down the platform, Bruce started to turn off the machine and Sam greeted Steve with a pat on his back, and Bucky walked closer to him. He looked at the man he knew for so damn long and opened a smile. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Yeah.” Bucky nodded in response and, after taking off the suit, both men went by the lake, away from people to a place where was quiet and appropriate. 

“How was the trip?” Bucky asked since Steve was quiet, with his hands on his pockets.

“Long, and weird, but the stones are back to where they should be. And let's hope they'll stay there for a while.” He answered looking at the water, but his eyes checked the man next to him as he spoke the next sentence. “I saw Peggy again. Talked to her. It was nice.”

Bucky's jaw clenched slightly at the mention of that woman’s name. He was afraid that would happen, and there it was. Steve went back to Peggy. He was so afraid he would do it, and of course, he did. Why didn't he say something to Steve before he went back? Why did he have to lose him again? 

“Great.” Bucky mumbled the words through all the confusion and disappointment going on inside him. He didn't even manage to look back at Steve, just stared at the trees by the opposite side of the lake.

“You know, after I spent some time with her again, I realized something. Something I should've realized earlier.” Steve spoke and took a pause for Bucky to look at him again. After some seconds of silence, the other glanced at Steve as if he had been waiting for the other to continue. “I realized that Peggy is the girl of my dreams. But when I dream, I don’t see a girl.”

Bucky froze, paralyzed as the words sank in. Was he saying what he thought he was saying? He had been waiting so long for it, so used to the unsaid that right now he couldn’t really tell if Steve was saying what Bucky wanted him to say. 

“She is not the one I dream about.” Steve cut the distance between them and put his hands on Bucky’s arms. “It’s you. I dream about you, Buck.”

Bucky smiled in response but, instead of saying anything, he put his lips onto Steve’s, laying his hands around the man’s face. Their kiss was soft and long, and they just stood there, on each other’s arms, as if the world around them didn’t exist. If there was no time and no place. Just the two of them, together. 

Steve thought about the dance with Peggy and how it felt, and this looked like what happened yesterday. There were no worries, no intruders, and no rush. But this time, it was different. This time, it did feel like he was sharing the intimacy of true love.

“I think we should go back and find a nice brownstone for us to live,” Steve mumbled.

“Just like the one you’ve always wanted when you were little?”

“Yeah. Just like that one.”

They shared a laugh, but the smile soon disappeared from Bucky’s face. 

“Steve, I…” He hesitated for a couple of seconds, pushing away from the other. “I don’t deserve this.”

“Yes, you do, Buck.” Steve put his hand at the shoulder of his friend - his love. “We both do.”

And when Steve held Bucky’s hand, he hoped, from the bottom of his heart, that it was the last time he was going to travel in time again and that, finally, they were going to have a peaceful life. 


End file.
